Month: February 2018

Of recent, gorilla travel is one of the amazing adventures one can take in East and Central Africa. After seeking for advice on how to plan a perfect gorilla safari in Rwanda here are some tips and information i would like to share with the TA community. First and foremost the experience of meeting the gorillas is in-explainable. It is a magical, heart pounding and thrilling experience – a reward for trekking through the thickets to see the endangered mountain gorillas.

For most travelers to Rwanda, gorilla trekking is the main highlight of a safari in Rwanda. Though the country has many other tourism attractions most travelers opt for gorilla trekking in the northern part of the country. I also definitely recommend people to take an amazing trip to the gorillas. She said, Rwanda is an incredible country, safe and stable, clean with a realistic governance and hospitable people.

Gorillas in Rwanda are found in Volcanoes national park which is situated in Musanze province at the foot hills of the Virunga Volcanoes. Trekking gorillas was a well arranged activity that begun as they reported at the park headquarters to be briefed about the gorilla trekking including all the dos and don’ts while with the gorillas. Afterwards she was assigned a gorilla group to visit; however she wasn’t sure if anyone can request a gorilla group of his or her own interest.

To our experience, it’s possible to request for a visit to a particular gorilla group that you could prefer to track. This is always done earlier mainly through your safari guide as he will approach the park officials and addresses your issue which is fine if done in time. This is done to some clients who need a specific gorilla experience such as gorilla groups that involves much hiking while others want those which are easy to find. She added that, it is unpredictable on how long the trekking will take because it varies from 2-6 hours depending on the movement of gorillas in the forest.

On her first visit; she trekked the Amahoro Group made of 18 gorillas varying through all ages. It was a 30 minutes drive on a rough road from where she had spent a night to the park headquarters. On reaching, they spent 20 minutes being briefed and later had to put on the trekking gears such as the water proof-type pants gumboots among others.

Afterwards, they started off the trekking in a forested bamboo area, it was a sunny morning but they still continued to a reasonably open grounds area but with less light where they got the gorillas as they were running their daily activities.She was happy because she trekked in a good weather with no rain. She went on and recommended all trekkers to put on layers due to the fact that the weather is unpredictable however you can get quite hot after walking.

On her second Visit; she trekked the Kwitonda Group consisting of 17 gorillas including 3 Silverbacks. It was a 20 minutes drive on uneven road from her place of accommodation to the park headquarters. It took them 1 hour trekking in the forest, walking up and down the steep forest through a worn path. The path had little stinging nettles. On reaching the gorillas, they spend 1 hour with the gorillas as it is the maximum time allowed while taking some memorable photographs. She went on and advised on the best type of camera required in taking photos;

Fast lenses are needed in order to take clear pictures since the gorillas are always in areas without direct sunlight however sometimes gorillas can be found in places with direct sun light. Most of her photos were taken around ISO800, f2.8-5 and shutter speed of 1/10-1/240

Though some travelers come with a monopod it may not be useful during the gorilla trek because gorillas where all around and the guide was regularly making them move to make sure they maintain a 7m buffer distance between them and the gorillas.The monopod takes a little while to set up, the space can often be cramped as you will have 8 tourists and the guides all stuck in the jungle and the gorillas may be in a pose position that you may want for just a short period of time.
In her group, there were two keen photographers who had full sized tripods2 full frame cameras,70-200mm lens plus a wider fast lens. However both of them left it and shot hand held cameras or occasionally with a monopod when the gorillas started resting after eating.

She used a D90 (1.5x crop sensor) and 70-200mm VR lens which looked to be fine for over 85% of the shoots she wanted. Their guide on the second trekking was more strict on the distance between the them and the gorillas however it could reduce from 2-5meters since the gorillas where mobile. This made her 70-200 mm lens on a Nikon crop sensor some how long but a bit ok for most of her photos.

A zoom lens is better since it becomes too difficult while taking steps forward or backwards while in the jungle.

It became tricky for her to get a clear view of the gorillas due to the little light in the jungle as well as the dark colour of the gorillas, so she advised all trekkers to keep checking while shooting.

Her first sight on gorillas was really amazing. ”I couldn’t hesitate the urge to blaze away with the camera taking memorable photos (particularly knowing I only had 1 hour with them), however later on I found it was nice to sometimes just stop taking photos and enjoy the little time with these beautiful creatures, watching their behavior e.g. eating, playing and grooming each other.” She added.

It wasn’t all that way easy for her as she was aiming at one or two gorillas at a time so as to get the best shot. The hour didn’t last for so long and by all means she took the most incredible photos to treasure and also show to her friends.

Hope the above tips and experience will help you while planning a tour. Don’t miss trekking the gorillas as it is the best experience for a life time!

For those who think that renting a car in another country will be impossible or cumbersome, it’s time to think again. Last week, i got a chance to try out my first car rental in Africa. I badly needed a small 4X4 WD car to travel into the remote side of Northern Uganda. I managed to rent a car from Drive Uganda, a some what reliable car rental agency based in Kampala. From my experience i found out that it is not only easy to rent a car in European countries and the U.S., but it’s actually easy to find discount car rentals even in Africa.

Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, there are many reasons to rent a car when you reach your destination. While public transportation will usually take you to major tourist attractions or to the centers of large cities, relying only on trains and buses can be time-consuming. In Africa, it is even not easy to secure a bus linking you to your preferred destination given that the transport system is totally different within developing countries and developed countries. After all, you are forced to travel according to the carriers’ schedules, rather than having the freedom to come and go as you please.

Taxis, of course, are always an option at most airports – providing you don’t want to travel too far off the beaten path ie linking you up only to nearby cities and locations. If you’re on holiday in Africa, for example, and decide to venture over to the national parks or countryside, a taxi is out of the question and public transportation won’t take you where you want to go. Indeed, a car hire is the only way to ensure that you have the flexibility to see the sights on your own timetable and on your own terms.

The ground rules for a car hire are basically the same across all car rental companies. For example, you typically have to be 23 years old, have a valid international driver’s license, and have a passport . When you reserve a car, you normally get to choose what type of vehicle you’d like, such as compact, mid-size, full-size, or a van. However, you don’t usually have the opportunity to specify make and model given that there are limited models in Africa. Nonetheless, most car rental agencies will accommodate your wishes if they have your preferred make and model available when you pick up the vehicle.

The choice of whether or not to purchase extra insurance can be made when you collect the rental car in Africa. Please note that most travel agencies in Africa do not extend insurance to people but only to the cars. Therefore before you leave for your destination, it’s important to check with your own car insurance agency and see if your coverage extends to rental cars in the country you’ll be visiting. If not, it’s a good idea to sign up for the extra coverage.

If you’ll be traveling to several different countries, it’s important to understand the regulations of the car rental agency as they pertain to crossing borders. If you’re in Africa, for example, most car rental agencies will allow you to drive to different countries – providing you inform them that you’re going to do so and that you do pay extra fees, border crossing fees and travel insurance for the vehicle. It is advisable to inform your car rental agency before crossing over the borders with the car to another country.

With all of the advantages to using a car hire while you’re traveling, the one sticking point is whether or not you’ll be able to find a cheap car rental. The best approach is to search online for a company that works with many different car rental agencies; they will have up-to-date information on availability, and can search for the best price available for the dates you desire. Because these online sources book so many reservations, they are able to negotiate bargain basement prices so that a traveler can find the cheap car rental that will make their holiday or business trip convenient and worry-free.